Peanut Blossoms

I thought I had this recipe on the blog already, but I guess not! You can make these as written or in a mini muffin pan.

-Mom Pulsipher

½ cup shortening

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ¾ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Sugar

28 chocolate kisses

Beat together shortening, butter and sugars. Add egg, milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms. Shape into 1-inch balls (0.8 oz if you want to be precise). Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with a kiss pressing firmly until cracks appear around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to cool.

For cookie cups: Follow mixing directions and place sugared balls into DAH mini muffin tray. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Immediately top with kiss, pressing firmly until cracks appear around edges. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from tray.

6-Minute Caramels

Love this recipe! It's easy to begin with and then add Demarle products and you've got it made. No need to butter a pan - the caramels will come right out! FYI - the caramallow patties associated with the original recipe at Rookno17 are also great!

-Rookno17.com

¼ cup unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar 

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Place DAH deep flexiflat on a perforated baking sheet or prepare a 9x9 or 10x10 pan by lining with parchment paper in each direction so that parchment overhangs all four sides and can be used to lift out the finished caramel.  Use nonstick spray or butter to grease the parchment.

Place butter in a DAH medium or large round mold or medium microwave-safe bowl.  *Use the microwave glass plate to act as a support when removing the caramel from the microwave to stir.

Microwave 30 seconds to soften the butter.  Remove from microwave and stir in the sugars, corn syrup and condensed milk. 

Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir. 

Microwave for another 2 minutes.  Stir. 

Microwave for a final 2 minutes.  Stir and pour immediately into one end of the deep flexiflat (will only fill ½) or prepared pan.  If using 8x8 pan, gently tilt pan to move caramel into each corner, then tap pan firmly on a flat surface to help level the hot candy.  Set aside to cool for 1 hour.  Use overhanging parchment to lift the cooled candy out of the pan and continue to cool for an additional hour.

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

I had a sample at Kneaders the other day and thought I'd try finding a recipe to recreate the yumminess. I tried several different recipes and this one comes pretty close! I used my new Demarle at Home charlotte mold - easy and I didn't have to worry about them sticking to my pans. YAY! I used a large ice cream scoop to divide the batter and did have a little left, so I baked that in a mini loaf pan.

-Modified from Sophistamom

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature


4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature


¾ cup sugar


zest of 1 orange

2 eggs


3 drops orange essential oil + 1 tsp. orange juice or 1 tsp. orange juice concentrate

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (use bread flour or Better for Bread flour if at high altitude)


¾ teaspoons baking powder


¾ teaspoons salt


1 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped or ¾ cup dried cranberries:

Place ¾ cup dried cranberries in a small bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Let the cranberries hydrate for about 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place Demarle at Home charlotte mold on perforated baking sheet or butter and flour a medium size loaf pan, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. When mixer is light in color and fluffy, add in zest. With mixer on low, add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in orange oil.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in cranberries. Using a large ice cream scoop, divide batter into charlotte molds or pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake charlotte cakes for 25 minutes or loaf pan for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool. After about 5 minutes, remove cakes from pans, and let cool on the wire rack. While still warm, drizzle with orange glaze (recipe follows). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Glaze

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar


1 tablespoon melted butter


zest of 1 orange


2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more juice or sugar to achieve desired consistency.